Goldsboro's bids on sewer come in high
By Barbara Arntsen
Published in News on November 2, 2004 1:59 PM
The Goldsboro City Council agreed Monday to take $1.9 million from its utility fund to pay for sewer improvements along New Hope Road.
The council expects to repay the loan next spring when it sells sewer bonds. Those bonds were voted on by Goldsboro citizens in 1998.
Sewer improvements will start at the Reedy Branch manhole on New Hope Road and continue to east of Best Road.
Additional improvements will also be at Hare Road from New Hope Road to Tommy's Road.
The lowest project bid, by T.A. Loving Co. at $2.1 million, was almost 50 percent more than the city had anticipated.
City Engineer Terry Gallimore told the council that the higher price was partly due to a rise in material costs, difficult construction conditions along Reedy Branch, and the requirement to sheet and brace the pipe trench along a section of New Hope Road.
Two weeks ago, the city's sewer consultants, city officials and T.A. Loving met to look at ways to reduce the cost.
City Manager Richard Slozak said they agreed that the bid could be reduced by $150,166 by moving the sewer pipe farther away from New Hope Road. This eliminated the need to sheet and brace the pipe trench along a section. The low bid with this reduction would $1.9 million.
The city must also pay the sewer consultants an additional $8,500 to prepare revised plans, prepare a revised easement map and submit a revised encroachment plan to the N.C. Department of Transport-ation.